


man's best friend

by bitchbabymurdock



Series: boy in the bubble [6]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-10-29 12:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitchbabymurdock/pseuds/bitchbabymurdock
Summary: Frank hadn't expected to fall for Matt when he came to town, and he also hadn't expected to meet what had to be the greatest dog in the world. Naturally, both of these things happen.(Or, a bunch of drabbles regarding Frank's time in Hell's Kitchen, particularly with Max)





	1. first meeting: matt

**Author's Note:**

> this is in the same universe as [the road is long, we carry on](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20274943) and while you don't Have to read that to understand this, it does add a lot more context (and this has spoilers for that, so i'd recommend reading trilwco before this!)  
this takes place over a decent course of time - starting with frank and matt's first meeting, then up until about chapter 2
> 
> im definitely going to add more lil snippets to this as different chapters later, which is why it's marked as incomplete!
> 
> also! this is written from franks perspective again bc i wanted to add some more Variety to the series

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> takes place before ch 2 and briefly summarizes one of the earlier parts of ch 2

Moving back into Hell’s Kitchen is weird, especially since he’s by himself. All his memories of the area are linked to his parents and their cramped but comfortable apartment, and it’s strange to wander around the same streets he can only vaguely remember from when he was a kid.

He doesn't know how long he’ll be in Hell’s Kitchen for, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he has to stick around for longer than a couple of months like the old man had told him. Said old man was kind of weird, and the way he talked about his ex-adopted-kid or whatever was unsettling, but he was also the only option Frank had unless he wanted to send his parents to an early grave after being put into juvie.

His parents had jumped at the idea of him getting his act together and attending a high school with a far better reputation than his previous one, even if it did mean he had to live in Hell’s Kitchen to attend. They were far less eager to let him live by himself but eventually conceded after he promised to visit every month. While they don't live in the city, they don't live too far away either, and it's only a couple of hours away by train even with some moderate traffic.

Even besides Frank himself wanting the freedom of living by himself, it’d be a hundred times more difficult to look after the guy the old man wanted him to if he had to worry about sneaking out of the apartment or explaining to them where he went after school.

Luckily for him, the guy doesn’t seem to do a whole lot, which means Frank doesn’t have to stay behind after school like he’d have to if the guy was in a club. They only meet once, when the gym teacher thought he seems ‘a bit too worked up, hon’ and has him sit out for the rest of the warm-up.

Matt Murdock is nothing at all like Frank had been expecting: split knuckles and frustration simmering beneath the surface of a seemingly perfectly behaved student, brows furrowed and jaw clenched the moment he thinks no one is looking his way. He's a mystery, and Frank is willing to put in the work to figure him out.


	2. first meeting: max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ones a bit longer bc it covers a larger portion of time! still technically a drabble though
> 
> takes place during ch 2 of trilwco

The second time they met, Frank had gotten a smack to a head from a pack of no-good bullies, and Murdock had swept in with a sort of animal-like grace and ferocity Frank could only look at in awe. He took care of the bullies and then some, not a single movement wasted as he beat them all to the ground.

Frank almost gave him a round of applause for it, but the broken expression that cracked through Murdock’s cool-facade made him freeze. Murdock had run off before he could say anything, glasses slipping out of its precarious placement in his backpack’s pocket and tumbling onto the ground like the weirdest Cinderella imitation Frank could think of.

He pocketed the glasses and examined the bullies strewn across the ground, and once he was satisfied with the amount of damage that had been done, decided to slowly make his way back to his apartment- the temperature was perfect for walking, so he might as well enjoy it considering how fickle the New York weather could be.

He’s a few blocks away when he spots a strange assortment of cardboard boxes at the end of an alley, and he takes careful steps toward it. A puppy shuffles out from behind one of the box’s flaps, and Frank is honest enough to admit he melts immediately.

“Hey, buddy,” he squats down and extends a hand outward, smiling softly when the puppy comes close enough to sniff at the tips of his fingers. “Someone made you a little house, huh?”

The puppy makes an attempt at a bark, but its throat is far too parched for the sound to come out properly.

Frank frowns. “I’m going to be right back, so don’t go anywhere okay?” He leaves and lucks out when he finds a water fountain nearby, which he uses to rinse out and fill up the tupperware container he packed his lunch in.

He speed-walks back to the alley, breathing out a sigh of relief when the puppy approaches him eagerly, seeming to realize that he brought something for it. He sets the container down carefully, grinning when the puppy laps at the water eagerly.

He taps his chin thoughtfully as he watches the puppy, settling down onto the ground and ignoring the grime that instantly latches onto his pants. “No collar, no home… I’d take you in except I don’t have enough time to take care of a dog.” He’d love to, though, no questions asked. He never had a pet of his own before, a result of his parent’s busy jobs and living in such a cramped space. The only contact he had with animals was by walking other people’s dogs, but it was enough to let him know that he can’t _wait _for the day he has a dog of his own.

“You could still use a name, though,” Frank decides. He tries to think of something clever, but several minutes of thinking still leaves him with nothing, and he sighs. “You know what? You can be Max. Like the dancing tiger.”

Max makes a little ‘boof’ noise that Frank can’t help but laugh at, and he scratches the puppy behind its ears with a grin.

“You are _adorable_,” he says, with great feeling. He spends the next few minutes playing with the puppy - he doesn’t bother trying to teach it any tricks since he isn’t exactly an expert at training dogs, but Max occasionally brings back the things Frank tosses for it to fetch without him giving him scraps from his lunch every time, so it probably counts as a win.

A sudden clattering noise from the opening of the alley catches his attention, and he spins around to find Murdock standing like a deer in headlights, frozen in place in a way that suggests he had tried to run away discreetly but was unexpectedly unsuccessful.

“Murdock?” he asks, just to be sure.

Murdock turns to face him properly, expression sheepish and head ducked as he seems to debate whether he should move closer or not. “Uh, hey,” he mumbles out.

He’s flushed all the way up to his ears, and all Frank can think about is how fucking _cute _he looks when he’s flustered.

Frank’s totally screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so if ure comparing this w matts perspective of what went down during ch 2, basically matt went straight to max after school, then while he was at the convenience store frank found max n they Bonded (frank rlly lucked out w finding the water fountain - if he hadn't, then he wouldnt have been there when matt came back, and it mightve taken a bit longer before they were able to interact again)
> 
> also frank totally makes himself his own lunches (theyre like a million steps up from what he makes himself in the punisher show, esp season 1, bc while hes still very practical n whatnot, i also feel like him in this au is a lot more frivolous? if that makes sense? like since he hasnt had the tragedy of losing his family and all the shit that went down during his time as a marine, he indulges himself a lot more. so basically frank makes himself a bunch of awesome food and yall are totally going to see that more sometime later)
> 
> the dancing tiger he references to is from the children's book 'tiger in a tutu'!


	3. sounds like trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set during ch 5 of trilwco!
> 
> franks a bit of an idiot but we all lov him anyway

Frank would be lying if he said that he wasn’t slightly worried about Murdock. While he seemed plenty smart and capable of handling himself, there was no denying he also has the emotional stability and comprehension of a rock.

And from the few times he’s seen Murdock interact with someone, it seemed like he was shitty at operating in social settings and had just about no way to handle his consequent negative emotions when said interactions went poorly.

But there’s not much he can really do about it, at least in this case. The blond kid has some obviously personal ties to Murdock, and it’d be stupid of him to stick his nose into it when he didn’t even know half of what was between them. The old man may have told him plenty of Murdock’s weaknesses and abilities, but he was pretty sparse on the events of his life.

As such, he doesn’t really have much choice but to sit with Max and hope that nothing bad happens. Which, well. Something bad probably _ will _ happen considering Murdock’s shitty life so far, and it’s just a matter of how bad.

“His luck is the fucking worst, I’m telling you,” Frank mutters as he scratches behind Max’s ear. “Can’t think of anyone who’s gotten screwed over by life more than him.”

He lets himself sit down completely once he’s found a semi-clean piece of cardboard that will hopefully provide him enough protection from all the germs and diseases festering on the disgusting ground.

Frank resumes his petting once he’s seated, to Max’s delight. “And he’s a good guy too, which is just- horrible, honestly. It ain’t right that that kind of shit happens to a guy like him.”

Max makes a little ‘borf’ noise that Frank takes as an agreement.

“I mean, you already know Murdock’s a good guy, you’ve experienced it firsthand.” Frank gestures at the cardboard setup still standing at the very back of the alley. “I don’t get why he gives a shit about everyone else- _ how _ he does. Especially after everything he’s been through, I don’t get how he can still bother to look after other people.”

Max says nothing, his only response being to lean further into Frank’s touch and whining when Frank pauses to sneeze.

“Alright, alright, I’m petting you. But yeah. Murdock makes no sense at all. There’s his fucking _ supersenses_, his weirdly strong morals, and then there’s also his absolutely insane fighting skills.” Frank whistles. “I mean, Jesus. Even just one of those is confusing as hell, and Murdock’s got all three? Christ, he’s basically just a bunch of weird shit shoved into a person through trauma and the like.”

Max gives him a blank look, turning to the side so his other side can get attention. (Frank is always impressed at how little animals can care about human problems.)

“And while I’m sharing all the stuff about him that- that doesn’t make any sense to me, he fucking-” he cuts himself off, leaning forward and muffling his scream against Max’s stomach, who gives him a dubious glance once he finally pulls away. “He gets so- so _ red_.”

Max huffs at him, unimpressed.

“You don’t get it ‘cause you’re a dog, but _ Jesus_.” Frank shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter, though. No way something would come of it- both of our lives are a mess and he’s a fucking magnet for trouble, I’m pretty sure.”

Max blinks at him.

Frank forces out a dry chuckle, even as his heart starts to beat faster and faster in his chest. “I don’t even know the guy that well, so it’s not like it’s a huge deal if something shitty happens to him. I’d just- feel bad for him, that’s all.”

Max blinks again.

“Okay, _ fine_, I’d care, but with how often things seem to go bad for him, I’d probably-” he pauses. “Fuck, now I’m getting paranoid. Do you think something bad would happen?” he asks Max.

Max, understandably, does not answer. He continues to stare at Frank before squirming and sniffing at his own butt.

Frank sighs. “Am I being stupid? I just- you know what, I’ll just walk by. If he brings it up, I’ll say I was in the area because I forgot something, or whatever. It’ll be fine.” He stands up, and it probably says something about how bored Max was of listening to him that the dog doesn’t even make a noise when he moves away. “You behave, alright? I’ll be back as soon as I make sure everything’s okay. If things aren’t okay, then… It’ll be a bit longer. See you, Max.”

Max glances at him briefly, then goes back to his butt-sniffing.

“Fair.” Frank gives him one last look before heading out of the alley, walking briskly to where the pizza place was apparently located. It doesn’t take long for him to get there, a fact that he’s immensely grateful for when he catches sight of Murdock’s figure through the clear windows of the store.

He’s got blood on his hands and a crazed, desperate look in his eyes and Frank thinks he understands what the old man had said about Murdock hiding something dark within himself.

But beyond that, Frank can spot the tremble in his hands, the way his posture is just barely ready for a fight- he’s terrified. And given how there are a couple of guys already beaten up throughout the room while another holds a gun to some kid’s head, he thinks he knows why.

The kid makes a sound like a wounded dog as Murdock is seemingly frozen in place, and Frank steps forward before things can get any worse than they already have.

It’s almost embarrassingly easy to sneak up on the guy, hit him, and disarm him, but he won’t question it when he sees the shock and relief spread over Murdock’s face in waves, cheeks flushed and mouth gaping. He looks like a dream.

“Heya, Red,” he greets, then proceeds to grab the man - who’s still trying to get out of this unscathed, is he fucking kidding? - and slam him against the nearby doorframe.

The man slumps, unconscious, and it seems like that’s all Murdock needed to step into action because he goes to town on some other guy with a _ pizza pan_, of all things, before walking briskly to the last guy, who’s cowering by the counter.

They exchange some words that Frank doesn’t really pay attention to, more concerned with moving the guy so he’s out of the doorway and patting him down for some ID, which he, unfortunately, doesn’t have on him.

Some of the employees are whispering which is pretty expected, all things considered, but Murdock still flinches at the noise. He’s starting to shake again, and Frank’s half a second away from pulling him out of there before he’s mumbling something then sprinting through the door and tearing down the street.

“Try not to tell the cops too much about him, will you?” Frank tells the employees, then gives the kid who was threatened - the blondie Matt was supposed to be hanging out with, go figure - a pointed look.

Blondie seems to get the message of ‘don’t fuck this up’ and ‘keep Matt out of this’ because he gives him a firm nod paired with a steady gaze.

Frank doesn’t wait any longer before running off after Murdock - there’s no way in hell he’d be okay by himself, not with how shaken he had seemed even just a couple of minutes after the immediate danger had passed.

He doesn’t know why exactly he cares so much, why his heart aches and burns at the thought of how much pain Matt’s in right now, or why he wants nothing more but to keep him out of harm’s way for as long as he’s able.

But there’s a time and place for those sorts of thoughts, and it sure as hell isn’t when you’re trying to make sure some blind teenage ninja isn’t having a panic attack. So Frank swallows against the thickness in his throat and focuses on finding Matt, and nothing else.

Matt is his priority for as long as it seems necessary. (Even if it’s for a couple of lifetimes, Frank thinks he might be just fine with it. It’s not like he has anything else to do, after all.)

**Author's Note:**

> hope you all liked it! i felt bad for leaving max out after he helped bring the boys together, and ive been wanting to write some scenes w him and frank for a while, so this was born  
(also i'm definitely way more of a cat person, so uh . if my descriptions of max didnt meet ur standards it's bc im just not a Huge Dog Fan)


End file.
